Joe Fagundes' Piper L-4B Grasshopper

Joe Fagundes is the owner and operator of this Piper L-4B Grasshopper, based at LaGrange, Georgia, is painted in original Africa campaign scheme with an 82nd airborne emblem. The aircraft served in Africa during WW2 and is available for airshows, flybys, aerial photography and film.

C. Gilbert Taylor and his brother had first established the Taylor Brothers Aviation Corporation in 1929 to market the Taylor Chummy light plane. In 1931 the company was reorganized as the Taylor Aircraft Company, William T. Piper Sr. then being its secretary and treasurer. When the company ran into financial difficulties, manufacturing and marketing rights for the Taylor Cub, which had first flown in September 1930, were acquired by William T. Piper who, in 1937, formed Piper Aircraft Corporation to continue production of this aircraft. A braced high-wing monoplane of mixed basic construction with fabric covering, the Cub had a conventional tail unit, fixed tailskid landing gear (the main units with wheels or optional floats) and an enclosed cabin seating two in tandem.

When first produced by Piper, the Piper J-3 Cub was powered by a 40 hp (30 kW) Continental A40-4 flat-four engine, but it was not long before the 50 hp (37 kW A50-4 or alternative A50-5 with dual ignition system was introduced on the J-3C-50 Cub. The resulting improvement in performance made this already attractive light plane an extremely marketable commodity and during 1938, which was the new company's first full year of production, no fewer than 737 Cubs were built. The Continental A50 was a new engine, early experience proving that it was reliable and had development potential, and it was later re-rated at 65 hp (48 kW) at a higher engine speed. Its introduction by competitors meant that Piper had to follow suit, and in 1940 the J-3C-65 Cub appeared with the Continental A65 engine. With alternative Franklin flat-four engines,
50 hp (37 kW) 4AC-150 or 65 hp (48 kW) 4AC-176, the Cub was designated J-3F-50 and J-3F-65 respectively and, similarly, with the Avco Lycoming 50 hp (37 kW) O-145-A1 or 65 hp (48 kW) O-145-B the Cub had the respective designations J-3L-50 and J-3L-65. Also built in comparatively small numbers was a version designated J-3P-50, powered by a 50 hp (37 kW) Lenape Papoose 3-cylinder radial engine.

Evaluated for the role of artillery spotting and front-line liaison, as were the Aeronca L-3 and Taylorcraft L-2, four examples of the Piper Aircraft Corporation's Cub Model J-3C-65 were acquired for this purpose by the US Army Air Corps in mid-1941. These were duly allocated the designation YO-59 and, almost simultaneously, 40 additional examples were ordered as 0-59s. These were all delivered quickly enough for the US Army to employ them on a far wider evaluation basis than had been anticipated, using them in the field as if on operational service during annual maneuvers held at the end of 1941.

There was no doubt at all after this very practical test that the little Cubs were of more value than had been envisaged, and this useful experience made it possible to procure a new version more specifically tailored to the US Army's requirements. This, designated 0-59A, was of braced high-wing monoplane configuration and was of composite construction comprising wooden spars, light alloy ribs and fabric covering. The fuselage and braced tail unit had basic structures of welded steel-tube and were fabric-covered. Landing gear was of the fixed tailwheel type, and the powerplant of the 0-59A comprised a 65 hp (48-kW) Continental 0-170-3 flat-four engine. Primary requirement of the 0-59A specification was improved accommodation for pilot and observer, which was achieved with a modified enclosure for the tandem cockpits to provide better all-round visibility.

Orders for this version totalled 948, but designation changes resulted in all becoming L-4As, the previously supplied YO-59s and 0-59s becoming L-4s. Subsequent procurement covered 980 L-4Bs with reduced radio equipment, 1,801 L-4Hs which had only detail changes, and 1,680 L-4Js which introduced a variable-pitch propeller that made a significant improvement to take-off performance. In addition to the various L-4 Grasshoppers procured specifically for the US Army, more than 100 were impressed from civil sources and designated L-4C (J-3C-65 Cub Trainer), L-4D (J-3F-65 Cub Trainer), L-4E (J-4E Cub Coupe), L-4F (J-5A Cruiser), and L-4G (J-5B Cruiser).

In 1942 Piper was requested to develop a training glider from the basic L-4 design, this involving the removal of the powerplant and landing gear. In its modified form it had a simple cross-axle landing gear with hydraulic brakes, and the powerplant was replaced by a new front fuselage to accommodate an instructor, and he and both pupils were provided with full flying controls. A total of 250 was built for the the USAAF under the designation TG-8, plus three for evaluation by the US Navy which designated them XLNP-1.

Apart from the three XLNP-1s which the US Navy acquired for evaluation, this service also procured 230 NE-1s, basically similar to the US Army's L-4s, and these were used as primary trainers. Twenty similar aircraft procured at a later date were designated NE-2, and 100 examples of the Piper J-5C Cruiser which were acquired for ambulance use (carrying one stretcher) were originally HE-l. When, in 1943, the letter H was allocated to identify helicopters, the HE-ls were redesignated AE-ls.

After the war improved versions were built under the designations YL-14, L-18B, L-18C, L-21A, L-21B and TL-21A

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